Getting a virus is not the end of the world (though it might seem so at the time) as it doesn't damage your computer, just the software. The destructive viruses usually delete some or all the content on your hard drive making it unusable until it's all reinstalled. The hardest thing is finding all the drivers needed for various devices, so don't lose any of those disks that came with your computer (You know, the ones you couldn't figure out what they were for).
If you do get a destructive virus and it starts wiping your hard drive, it'll go for the vital files first and probably the register. There's not a lot you can do about it once it's started, but watch until it finally crashes. To rectify all this involves reformatting the drive (wiping it clean) and re-installing Windows. This is not for the faint hearted, so if you don't know a computer whiz friend, it means a trip to the computer shop and it won't be cheap.
The viruses that are circulating now are not all destructive. Some secretly email everyone on your mailing list and bring down sites due to the overload of mail. If you're not on broadband, they wait until you access the Internet on dial-up.
If you use Internet Banking, the worst possible virus to get is a Key-Logger trojan, which records and transmits all the keys you press. You'll never know you've got it, until your bank account is drained. This type of trojan is usually built in to some free dodgy software that you've downloaded from the net.
Most viruses (but not all) are usually transmitted via attachments. Never open an attachment from someone you don't know. If you don't open the attachment and delete it, you'll usually be ok. The attachment may seem to be a graphic image, but it's easy to forge this.
It's so easy to click that paper clip without thinking. You can always enable this option anytime later if you need to.
If you do receive an attachment that you know is safe and you want to save it, just nip back into Tools and untick the box. You have to close Outlook Express and reopen it to re-active the option.
This stops webbugs, scripts etc from activating. An extra advantage is that it will help stop spam. It stops any remote images loading that tell the spammer you have read their mail.
If you haven't got a virus checker already, Grisoft's AVG at http://free.grisoft.com is very good and it's free. No wonder it's popular. If your computer is already infected, they have free Virus Removers to clean it. Don't forget to keep your virus checker updated with the latest virus database.
